The Cowl - v.82 - n.11 - Nov 30, 2017

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 82, Number 11 - November 30, 2017. 24 pages

The lessons learnt from Willy Wonka (includes alternate ending)

Despite all that research has taught us, lectures and seminars still continue to be largely delivered in the classroom, with students sat in rows for far too long. Lecturers offer information, which some students choose to absorb. Some students choose not to, or don’t have the nature to be able to. So, what if we change this? What happens? And even more crucially, what can we do to use the ‘student voice’ to enhance how they learn and what they learn? Following a successful pilot in Experiential Education which we presented at the LJMU conference in 2013 we made developments which allow students to shape their own learning experience - truly engaging them in delivery. With Nick changing institutions at the beginning of this academic year we have both continued to explore Experiential Educational but in different ways. This presentation examines these developments and looks at three key areas: 1) The needs of students (which they weren’t shy in making clear to us!) and the differing learning styles they have, to see how teachers can use them to deliver an all-encompassing experience which is interactive, engaging and informative. 2) A taster of the technologies involved in flipped classrooms and the benefits of experiential education. 3) The reflective nature of learning journals to encourage the student voice to be raised (and then heard). Charlie got the Golden Ticket because he dreamt about it, because he did everything he could to get it. So, where did the others go wrong? And what could Wonka have done about this

REBUILDING AFRICA'S SCIENTIFIC CAPACITY IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Situaciones de inclusión/exclusión mediante el juego en Educación Primaria

The purpose of this study was to explore how primary school children include or exclude their peers in play. Two primary schools in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, participated in this project. Observations and interactional interviews were used to collect data, and a content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results suggest that participants employed various strategies to exclude some of their peers from play. It was also established that exclusion may be utilised for purposes of establishing or maintaining friendships among children. Findings of this study have implications on the strategies adopted by adults seeking to promote inclusion in children’s play.El propósito de este estudio fue explorar el modo en que los niños de la escuela primaria incluyen o excluyen a otros niños en situaciones de juego. Dos escuelas primarias de la localidad de Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, participaron en este proyecto. Observaciones y entrevistas interactivas fueron utilizadas para la recolección de datos, los cuales fueron sometidos a un análisis de contenido. Los resultados sugieren que los participantes emplearon diversas estrategias para excluir a algunos de sus compañeros de juego. También se descubrió que la exclusión puede ser utilizada para mantener o establecer nuevas amistades entre los niños. De los resultados de esta investigación se extraen conclusiones relativas a las estrategias que pueden utilizar los adultos que traten de promover la inclusión de los niños mediante el juego

The Advocate, November 5, 2009

https://red.mnstate.edu/advocate/1212/thumbnail.jp

A High Tech Start-up’s Journey Towards Funding

1.1 Masters background As part of the “Masters in Advanced Technology Programme” each student had to select a high-tech start-up that they wanted to be involved in throughout the year. Each individual would bring value to the start up through their background and experience. The start-up I selected was an interactive robotic toy called “Auti”. Project champion, Helen’s envisioned goal was for the toy to help children with autism learn positive behaviours. Our team consisted of two main individuals not including the product champion (Please refer to Appendix A to learn more about the team, team dynamics etc.). My individual responsibility in terms of contribution to the team was to establish a strategic business plan, including a growth strategy for the project. Gaining funding is a critical part of any start-up’s growth (Ministry of Economic Development, 2007). Financial planning forces companies to think about their goals. A common goal most companies have is the goal to grow (Ross et al., 2002). 1.2 Objectives The objective of this study was to identify the best suited funding sources, which I could then recommend “Auti” implement in order to help the company become a feasible, sustainable business. In order to make the most appropriate recommendations, I had to become financially literate. A study done in Canada found that weak financial literacy may be one of the biggest reasons start-up businesses do not succeed (Intuit, 2013). 1.3 Research questions My thesis looks to answer three specific questions. Questions one and two are specific to my individual research conducted into the angel investment industry in New Zealand. 1) How do angel investors in New Zealand view the angel investment industry in New Zealand? 2) What do angel investors expect high-tech start-ups to have in place before they would consider investing? Thesis question three is related to the main theory of the thesis. 3) How relevant is the “pecking order capital structure” theory to high-tech start-up companies in New Zealand? 1.4 Contribution This thesis contributes to practice as well as theory. My interviews with angel investors are “practice led”, meaning that the research led to a new understanding about practice (Edmonds et al., 2006). In terms of my own research, a new understanding was formed on angel investment in New Zealand in 2014. Specifically, a common list of things angels throughout New Zealand look for in “high-tech” start-ups, before they would consider investing, was identified. The main theory within this thesis is to do with the “pecking order capital structure”, in relation to high-tech start-ups, therefore contributing to research done around the pecking order theory. 1.5 Thesis layout This thesis is a reflection of the two facets of research that I conducted. The two approaches used were action-based research and in-depth Interviews. Action-based research aims to contribute both to the practical concerns of people in an immediate problematic situation and to further the goals of social science at the same time (Gilmore et al., 1986). Action-based research, as mentioned in this thesis, looks into the process that was taken to find the best suited funding sources for our start-up, “Auti”. An in-depth interview was conducted with angel investors in New Zealand to get a better understanding of angel investment in New Zealand. Specific focus is put on “angel investment” in New Zealand as this is the preferred choice of start-up capital for “Auti”. The thesis begins with a literature evaluation. The first section will evaluate funding source literature that influenced us to select angel investment funding as something we wanted to get a better understanding of. Further angel investment literature will be evaluated, including the gap in literature that my individual research into angel investment fills. Research question three looks to see if our start-up, “Auti”’s capital structure follows the “pecking order capital structure”, therefore there will also be a section within the literature review chapter that will include my main findings on past research, which has been conducted around the world, looking into if high-tech start-ups, such as “Auti”, follow the “pecking order capital structure”. The definition of high-tech firms, also known as new technology based firms, is not clear, its application differs significantly depending on time, space, and authors (Laranja &Fontes, 1998; Fontes & Coombs, 2001). One way it has been defined by Little (1977) is “independent owned business established for not more than twenty-five years and based on the exploitation of an invention or technological innovation implying substantial technological risks”. Following the literature review chapter, my research methodology is described, specifically with regards to my individual research into angel investment in New Zealand, explaining what I did, why, and problems that I faced. The thesis then follows with main findings from my individual qualitative research into the angel investment industry in New Zealand. The thesis conclusion will have six main sections. Sections will cover whether or not my research supports the literature, what my research contributions are, and an implementation section (recommending start-up funding implications for “Auti”). As my individual research looked into the angel investment industry in New Zealand, a majority of the implementation will be specific to what the “Auti” team should do in respect to approaching angel investment in order to have a higher chance of gaining investment. My recommended start-up funding implications will then be compared to the pecking order capital structure to show that it follows that structure. A section will also look into the limitations that my research faced. The last section will be recommendations in terms of further research needed to be conducted in order to support my research conclusions

HONG KONG STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD: THE IMPACT OF CURRICULUM, STRUCTURE AND ETHOS: A CASE STUDY OF A RESIDENTIAL BRITISH BOARDING SCHOOL

The purpose of this research is to explore the effect which curriculum, ethos, teaching and family support have on the way that Hong Kong students adapt and contribute to life in a British residential school. The recruitment of Hong Kong students into British boarding schools has increased dramatically over the last thirty years but as yet there has been little research in this area. This thesis employed a case study methodology to examine the experiences of Hong Kong students in the school in order to determine the factors which contributed to the success of otherwise of their stay. This research was conducted by using a qualitative, observation participant approach, collecting data over four prolonged visits to the school. Five key questions are addressed: in what ways do the classroom behaviours of Hong Kong students change as a result of their encounters in a British boarding school? Are Western teaching styles adapted to cater for students of different educational backgrounds? To what extent do the curriculum, structure and ethos of the school contribute to creating intercultural cohesion? To what extent does a cultural transfer take place? And what is the effect of the family on Hong Kong students in a British boarding school? The findings indicate that, although there are some initial difficulties for students in adjusting when they first arrive at the school, the institution is very successful in creating a harmonious intercultural community of respect where national identities are preserved. The study of this bounded community offers examples of how a learning environment which is not representative of a single culture may be created. The setting is significant as the boarding school is a closed environment in which student life is highly organised and therefore primary contact is with the culture of the school rather than that of the country

International networking: education, training and change

The decision to inaugurate the International Networking Conference to focus on education, training and change was a direct result of the Higher Education/UNESCO Conference which was held in Cyprus in 1992. I was given the opportunity of delivering a paper on some of the problems associated with managing an internationally respected performing arts institution in the most remote capital city in the world-Perth, Western Australia. Upon my return to Perth I broached the notion of conducting an international conference in Western Australia which would highlight issues and problems relative to higher education programs in Australia, Asia and the Indian Ocean rim. With the support of UNESCO, the University\u27s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Roy Lourens, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian Lawrence, agreed that the project was one that would be a significant one for Edith Cowan University. They provided substantial financial and moral support...

2013 - The Eighteenth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars

The full program book from the Eighteenth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 25, 2013. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/sssprograms/1012/thumbnail.jp